Can't Take This Anymore
by crazytomboy78
Summary: Re-posted, cuz I wanted to save the idea. Using a series of Jack's Mannequin songs, I tell the story of how Tony comes to realize that he's loved just the way he is, and with just the people he has around him.  Summary changed.
1. Orphan

**Song-****Orphans by Jack's Mannequin *****

*****Disclaimer: I no own.**

**P-POV.**

_I am looking for a sign  
>My spirit's faded<br>She holds on like a vine  
>Patterns in traffic<br>They sound just like my heart  
>Race in the dark<br>In time to catch you.  
>No one should let you<br>Go wandering off into the night  
>You're not an orphan.<em>

Boy, if I thought I was depressed then I was wrong. Tony looked like an absolute disaster right now.

I know why, too, and I feel really bad for him. It's almost like he's losing himself. I tried to ask what was wrong, but he just muttered something I couldn't understand and went back to his slumping. It's not good for him to be cutting himself off from his friends again, because we'd been through that before and it wasn't quite so much fun. I knew it was best to get him to talk to me and Rhodey now so he wouldn't start some new phase of being depressed and ignoring someone. I already missed his voice…

Was it that he felt alone? Because he's not. That's the last thing I want him to feel. He knows he has friends that support him and want to help him. So why is he not talking to us? He knows how, and he should know that talking could help him just get it all off his chest. Maybe its just the fact that he doesn't want his friends to see him cry. Maybe he wants to look brave and strong in front of us and then when he's alone he can let all his tears flow. And let them fall for what reason? He's not telling us. But I'm not giving up. I'm going to stay by his side until he feels better and feels that he can talk about it because I want him to talk about it. Talking is good.

Don't get me wrong, I'm upset too. And not just because when Tony is upset it makes me upset (and I hope vice versa, but there's no being sure unless he tells me, which I doubt he would). I feel let down because I was betrayed too. I knew that that day had something to do with Tony's current depression, because he took the hardest hit. I tried to let him know that, that he's not alone in all this and I'm by his side and so is Rhodey and that he's not the only one who feels terrible about everything that has happened, but he has to learn to let it go and cheer up because we didn't like seeing him like this; but he again did not listen. He just grunted and set his head back down. I sighed. I promised myself not to get impatient with this, because that would make me irritated because whenever I get impatient I get irritated. And when I'm irritated, that's not very fun for other people.

I decided to be silent for a little bit and let him slump more, because maybe after a little more thought he would come to his senses and let his friends talk him into cheering up. I stared at his messy brown hair and I missed his smile. When he smiled it gave him a sort of a boyish cuteness. Why can't he smile for me? He told me once that he would do anything for me because I'm his friend and he didn't know what he'd do without me. If I asked him to smile, and said do it for me, would he? More importantly, would he feel any better for it? Smiles were contagious. If you ever saw someone smile, you felt like smiling too. That is, unless you're some sort of emotionless shrew who didn't care for anyone else's happiness, not even your own—but she didn't know anyone like that.

I told him that no one in the right mind should leave you in the dust like that and to just try and smile for his friends because we wanted to see that he was happy, but the same response came. I long for him to just be happy, and I'm sure Rhodey feels the same. Tony muttered that he just wanted to be alone for a while, so Rhodey and I respected his wishes and left Tony in the lab. I told Rhodey that I had to get home anyways, and that I'd see them tomorrow or something. Throwing my backpack over my shoulder, I started a slow walk home; still thinking about Tony.

If only he knew the things I knew about him. If only he would listen when I told him that he is a beautiful person and no matter what other people say he should always believe in himself because he can do great things. It was like someone took his self-esteem and whacked it a million times with a hammer. It was bruised or something. If he would just listen to me when I tell him constantly that he is the most generous, caring creature that I ever knew and that he knows that everything he does, he does because he loves to help people and shape the world into a better place. Why did everyone have to just step all over him so carelessly like that? I like him the way he was before, the way he was when I met him. I'm not being shallow; I just don't like seeing the negative side of the guy I love.

_I keep waiting for my breath  
>To come back never<br>So take what I have left  
>Patterns in traffic<br>That pulls just like my heart  
>Race in the dark<br>In time to catch you  
>No one should let you<br>Go wandering off into the night  
>You're not an orphan.<br>Right there to catch you  
>I won't forget you.<br>Now you're wandering to the night  
>but you're no orphan<br>you're not an orphan_

After a long, slow walk to the inner-city apartment my father and I called home, I unlocked the front door to see my father sitting on a kitchen counter stool, slouched over a bowl of cereal. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Sometimes my dad knew just what to do to make me smile. I threw my backpack next to the couch and went to the kitchen to prepare my own bowl of cereal. My dad was probably trying to ask me what's up, but I wasn't sure because he was talking with his mouth full and that made me laugh again. So subtle, dad, so subtle.

After swallowing a spoonful of now chewed cereal, my dad asked more clearly: "What's up, buttercup?"

"Oh, it's just Tony. He's all depressed over something and he won't let us talk to him." I complained.

"Well maybe leaving him alone for a little while is the best thing to do right now. Just let him be alone to think, then maybe after he organizes his thoughts he'll want to talk." My dad shoved another spoonful of cereal into his mouth and tried to talk with his mouth full, but funnily failed. When my dad tries to cheer me up, he just acts goofy because he knows that just getting a smile on my face lightened my mood for at least a little while. I knew to cut my dad some slack because raising a girl on your own when you're a man isn't the easiest thing to do. But he tried, and it was good enough for me; at least it's a loose break from my rules-rules-rules mother.

I wish Tony would cheer up faster. I want to have one of those moments where we're alone and I'm talking to him and making him feel better and he goes all 'hey Pepper thanks for cheering me up, you're a real pal' and I would be like I'm more than a pal, Tony, and he'd be like you're right I love you and then he kisses me and I think of how magical it is and then we all live happily ever after….

Snapping out of my common fantasy—and by that I mean at least once a day I fantasize something like that—I realized that I had a text message from Rhodey. He was asking me if I think this thing with Tony will blow over soon and I said I didn't know, it depends on Tony. I hope it blows over soon, but with Tony there's really never any telling. Sometimes reading his emotions became a sort of a superpower-if you could, you were Superman or something. Tony did a really good job of hiding his feelings from other people. That's the only downside to liking him, you never know if he likes you back or not.

I tried to text Tony to see if he's feeling a little better now but he replied with a no and that made me groan. He was being such a loner right now, and that bothered me. I didn't like it when people are alone, I grew up surrounded by people; when I was younger I had a bit of a destructive personality and my curiosity tended to get the better of me sometimes. Therefore someone, family member or friend, was always keeping a close eye on me and stayed nearby in case I was doing something they knew would not end up well. I'd adapted to that by learning the trait of never being alone. So I didn't like that Tony was alone, and I wanted to just sit next to him, just so he would have a friend to talk to when he was ready.

I couldn't stand it anymore. I decided to go back to the lab and just sit next to Tony for a while until he was ready to talk. So what if it was going to take a while to get him to talk, he needed a friend and I wanted to be the friend that's there for him at just the perfect moment. Then maybe I'd be kissed…

I closed the front door behind me and quickly walked to the factory behind Rhodey's house. My hustle-bustle steps blended in with the rest of the city, so I was just any normal person to anyone passing by me. Not that I cared if I was being paid attention to, I didn't really care whether people noticed me or not. Just if Tony noticed me or not. I found my way through the factory and pushed the four digit code to open the lab door and walked inside. Tony glanced up at me and asked why I was here. I told him I was here to comfort him, of course.

"Pepper, I just want to be alone, okay?" I shook my head.

"Come on, Tony, just let me sit here with you! No one likes to be alone," Tony sighed and gave up. I cheered to myself and sat beside him quietly and calmly. It was like watching some sort of victim in a horror movie, he was twitching and he looked stir crazy. I asked if he wanted to get out of the lab or something, but he muttered a no and I sighed and shrugged. I watched him cross his arms and sit back in his chair , then become uncomfortable and change positions. What's up with him?

"I-I can't take it anymore, I have to get out of here…" Tony stood and left. I panicked and followed him out, but when I got out I didn't see him anywhere.

_I never thought the day would come  
>(you're not an orphan)<br>They tell me that you've finally run  
>(you're not an orphan)<br>I guess you always said you would someday  
>(you're not an orphan)<br>I never thought the day would come  
>(you're not an orphan)<br>They tell me that you've finally run  
>(you're not an orphan)<br>I guess you always said you would someday  
>(you're not an orphan)<em>

You're not alone, Tony…

**Okay, so here's the thing. The story I just posted, it turns out It's not a remake of this story and they're completely separate. So yes, I'll be continuing with a chapter two soon, and I will continue the other story as my 8****th**** story still running (oh boy!). So, let's see where this story goes! Review!**


	2. American Love

**Song: **_American Love _by _Jack's Mannequin_

****I no own****

**P.S.-I rewrote chapter two because I don't like the idea I wrote anymore. I'm going to see where I go with this new idea for the story.**

_You see I got this American Love  
>A brand new planet in my solar system<br>I kiss her neck but I just can't look her in the eye  
>You leave for college at the turn of autumn<br>I spent the winter diving to the bottom  
>I kiss your neck but I just can't look you in the eye<br>yeaaahh  
>Big hearts big hearts<br>Big hearts are for breaking  
>(big hearts are for breaking)<br>Whoaa oh  
>Big hearts big hearts<br>Big hearts are for breaking_

Something in Tony said he didn't want to leave, but he just couldn't handle everyone getting on his case and causing so much drama anymore. He didn't want to deal with people, he just wanted to get away. He wanted to be with the girl he'd only recently started to believe he likes, but life is too complicated for that. He just wanted an escape. Just wanted to get away from people, that was all he needed.

He came to the bus station. It wouldn't take him far, but it would give him transportation and that was enough for him. As long as he wasn't in the city, it was just fine for him. He could explore the rural, cozy homes of the state of New York. That is, if that was the escape he wanted.

Of course, there was other things he wanted to do. He wanted to know what college was like, he wanted to get to know what people learned in engineering school was like and what people learned in college. Not just the career info, but the life experience of college. He'd heard of a good engineering school in Rochester (of the same state) that would accept him in a heartbeat (who wouldn't accept a teenage genius?) and he would be delighted to see.

So that's where he headed. He took the bus to wherever the last stop was, and from there found his way to Rochester. Hours passed on the bus, and Tony didn't think it would go so far outside the city but apparently it did. Apparently the bus garage was that far outside the city that he could just take another bus to Rochester. The second bus ride was still a few hours, and he passed those hours by thinking about Pepper. How he'd left her, how he'd just abandoned her so abruptly. Why hadn't he just taken her with him? Why hadn't he just told her that he likes her and he wants her to just be with him without it creating more pain for him. But life wasn't that easy.

A few hours later, Tony came to a bus stop in Rochester. He got off the bus, curiously, slinging his two backpacks—one black, and the reverse side of his armor, and the other being a regular backpack filled with his charger and other things necessary for his survival—over his shoulder. Tony looked around. He found a map in a brochure that showed him the way through town, and eventually he came to RIT.

He gazed at the entrance to the college. It looked like a big campus from the outside, but he had yet to explore the inside.

Tony walked on campus and found his way to the admissions office.

"Hi," Tony greeted the person at the admissions office, "I'm here to enroll?"

~…~

"Umm, Rhodey? Have you seen Tony?" Pepper asked after she had looked around all the possible places that Tony could be.

"No, why?" Rhodey replied. Pepper sighed.

"Last I talked to him he was all depressed. He said he couldn't take it anymore, and just vanished. I have no idea where he is." Pepper explained. Rhodey painted a perplexed look on his face.

"Well that's not good. We have to look for him." Rhodey stood from his seat, but Pepper sat in another chair and pulled her legs close to her body. Rhodey saw the sadness in her eyes, and could tell she was very upset about Tony.

"Is everything, uhh, okay Pepper?" asked Rhodey. Pepper sighed. She was silent for a few minutes before answering.

"Where could he have gone? Is he okay? Why did he leave?" Rhodey could hear in her voice that she was very concerned and crestfallen for Tony's absence. She'd gotten to know where he was all the time, because he was usually in the same places doing the same things each day.

Words of Pepper's past with Tony echoed in her mind. _Ooh, does he have a girlfriend?_ , _Thanks, Tony. Yes, Tony?_ How she'd clung to him so often, and how she had no idea where he was and how he was now was something new to her. It wasn't something she liked, either. She wanted to know why he had left, why was he so depressed? She wanted to go to him, comfort him and make him feel better. She wanted to love him, but he wouldn't let anyone in. Rhodey sat down beside Pepper.

"Look, Pepper, I'm sure Tony will turn up soon. He probably just needs to be alone for a little while."

"No, he won't! I know he's not anywhere near here, I looked everywhere he would have possibly went and he's not there! He's gone, and he didn't even care to say goodbye to me." Pepper complained. Tears were welling in her eyes.

"Well did you try calling him?" Rhodey asked.

"N-no, actually, I didn't." With that, Pepper whipped out her phones and dialed Tony's speed dial. The phone rang several times until her call was forwarded to voicemail. Pepper sighed and hung up without leaving a word for voicemail. She wouldn't bother trying again, because if Tony didn't pick up the first time there wasn't a very good chance he'd show up the second time. It was just the way he was.

_Where are you, Tony?_

Suddenly, Pepper got an idea. She stood quickly with a smile on her face.

"We can track his cell phone signal, right?" Pepper asked.

"Yeah, why?" Rhodey asked curiously.

"Then we can find where he is!" Pepper exclaimed.

"Ooh, I see where you're going with this!" Rhodey and Pepper ran to the lab.

**Well, now I like this better. Poor Pepper just won't give up, will she? Review!**


	3. Into The Airwaves

**Song: **_Into the Airwaves _by _Jack's Mannequin_

_From an empty room on the first floor  
>As the cars pass by the liquor store<br>I deconstruct my thoughts at this piano  
>And it's all that I can do to stay with<br>All the things I didn't say to you  
>Before you moved across the country<br>And from the burning building where I lay  
>As I watch the stars become the day<br>The L.A. girls were lacing up their sneakers  
>They run the boardwalks and the beach<br>This fishbowl life is all they need  
>It's everything I needed, too<br>Until I heard the news_

I couldn't really believe that I had just let him go like that. He just silently slipped away, without anyone knowing. No one had been around and he had just openly decided to leave? Why would he leave? I couldn't even talk him out of it by saying I love him, and I don't want to see him go. Doesn't he see that I love him? No, probably not. Tony is oblivious to girls' feelings all too often. Why, Tony, can't you see that there are people here like me and Rhodey who don't want you to go and don't think you're useless and unloved? …Or is there another reason?

I looked at the large computer screen again. Tony's cell phone signal was still not showing. How had he gone so silently? His loud metal boots left a heavy footprint, speaking metaphorically. He couldn't just slip away in the silence and leave me all alone—with Rhodey—and just…just…not tell me! I could have talked him out of it, couldn't I? I could have given him advice that would make him feel better and not make him run away as silently as he did. He was noticed, he was loved—so for what reason did he run away? Why, Tony, why?

I was snapped out of my train of thought when I heard Rhodey say, "Pepper! You there?"

"W-what? Oh, yeah sorry I kind of drifted into thought…what's up?" I looked at the computer screen again.

"We found him." I smiled and squealed excitedly.

"Really? Where is he?"

_I'll send this message through the speakers  
>They told me that you moved<br>I'll cross this country on a frequency  
>I'm slipping through, I'm slipping through<br>I'm slipping into the airwaves  
>And this is nothing new, you are slipping through<br>My fingers and into the airwaves  
>The static's where you'll find me<br>From the corner by the studio  
>The gold-soaked afternoon comes slow<br>I deconstruct my thoughts and I am walking by  
>On Third Street, the freak show thrives<br>Santa Monica's alive, but  
>Something's not so right inside<br>Living with the news_

"He's in a town called Rochester…it's still in the state, but it looks a bit far away." Rhodey explained. I sighed.

"How far?" I asked.

"Like, a few hours." Rhodey said. I sighed again.

"Why did he go there?"

"It looks like there's a pretty good engineering school there." Rhodey said. Why did Tony have to go to some stupid college? Why does he need college? He's a genius for goodness sake, what in the world could there be to learn that he didn't already know? Did he feel like he was stupid? Does he need a knowledge refill or something? Does he need to feel like he fits in somewhere, be with fellow techy-people? Why can't he do that at Stark International? I thought there were only the most tech-savvy people working there. Why did he need to leave? Come back, Tony, you're driving me crazy! Ughh, why does he have to be so…cute? Why can't he just come back so I can see his cute face again? I grunted.

"Something wrong?" Rhodey asked, probably having heard me grunt. I put on the most innocent face I knew before responding.

"What? No, no everything's fine…" Apparently he wasn't convinced; he turned to me.

"Pepper, if you miss him its okay to admit it." I let out a mute gasp.

"I don't…why do you think I…?" Why was he smiling? What's so funny about me not believing that I miss Tony?

"Because I'm pretty sure I asked you like ten times if he responded to any of your texts and I never got an answer." Oh.

"Hehe...well…I-I…I didn't get a response…" I muttered. He was still amused by my actions. I, however, was not amused because I was still stuck on the fact that Tony had silently and mysteriously vanished. I wouldn't go on another thought-rant about how Tony shouldn't have run away or he should've told his friends that he was feeling down instead of just leaving, but I know he did the wrong thing by running. Running from your problems instead of facing them was never the way to go, and I'd always assumed that Tony had known that but apparently not. I…no, I've ranted enough to myself. I'm not going to start again. But really, why did he run?

~…~

_I'll send this message through the speakers  
>They told me that you moved<br>I'll cross this country on a frequency  
>I am slipping through, I am slipping through<br>I am slipping into the airwaves  
>(The static's where you'll find me)<br>And this is nothing new, you are slipping through  
>My fingers and into the airwaves<br>Into the airwaves  
>So hold on, it's gonna be hard day<br>So hang on, now. Don't panic  
>Don't panic, there simply is no need<em>

Tony found the dormitory he had been assigned and unlocked the door. There was no one inside it yet, but honestly he didn't care if anyone came at all. Alone or sharing his room, nothing really mattered to him anymore. Of course, something inside him told him he was starting to miss Pepper immensely, but he was able to ignore the feeling as he had when he went to bed each night.

Tony set his stuff down on his new dormitory bed with a sigh. Why had he come to school? He'd forgotten by now. He was starting to regret arriving in Rochester, NY, but then there was that feeling that he was glad to be here because it was an experience that he wouldn't have gotten to experience like every other teenager. College was a unique experience, right? So it should be fun…right?

Suddenly, Tony heard the door handle jiggle and a moment later the door opened. Tony looked over at the door to see a boy that seemed to be a few years older than him, but once again Tony didn't mind. All Tony only knew that he was of the same major, because that's the way college works. Tony's new roommate set down his things and waved.

"Hey," he said, "I'm Roy." Tony shook his hand.

"I'm Tony," Tony explained. Roy nodded and sat on his bed. Tony saw that Roy didn't seem like the most…obedient person. His clothes had small tears in a few places, especially in his jeans. Tony almost expected a toothpick to be sticking out of his mouth and a leather jacket over his shirt. He didn't look like the type of person to be interested in technology and engineering, but then again you can't judge a book by its cover; that being said, he was a bit young looking himself.

"So, ain't you a little young to be in college?" Roy asked.

"Yeah." Tony seemed to be shutting himself off from the people around him better than he'd been able to in the city. People here, it seemed, didn't really care if you didn't want to talk to them whereas in the city, when someone talks to you, they manage to extract the answer they wanted to hear from you. It was something Tony liked.

"So then what are you doin' in college? You aint look a day over sixteen." Roy asked. Tony turned from his unpacking to answer,

"I'm a sixteen year old billionaire genius; I don't think there's any reason not to accept me for college…" Tony explained. That was the problem with the modern world; Tony felt that lately the public was getting more and more interested in him and he was getting more attention than he'd gotten when Madame Masque impersonated him. It seemed that as it drew closer to his birthday, the press and the public in general became more interested in what Tony did every day. As if there was a story? He went to school, came home, worked in his lab and spent time with his friends; what was so interesting about that?

"Wait, you're Tony _Stark_?" Roy asked, surprised.

"The one and only," Tony answered.

"Wow! I can't believe it, I based my whole career off of your work! I can't believe you're here right in front of me," Roy marveled. Tony sighed to himself. That was exactly why he had tried to escape the press of the city; they always hounded him as a billionaire, made him into some sort of celebrity, when all he wanted was to be treated like a regular teenaged boy.

"Well, believe it," Tony turned back to his unpacking. Roy noticed that Tony wasn't really caring for his attention, and figured that maybe he should stop treating him like such a celebrity and start treating him like a real friend; it reminded him of when he was younger, and he had been a celebrity; his younger days, when he was on TV as a kid, he was always recognized as 'that kid from that show', never 'that kid, he's a really great guy'. Maybe, Roy thought, he feels like that lately.

"So, umm…after ya finish unpacking, do you wanna tour the campus or somethin'?" Roy asked. Tony absorbed the question happily. Was it that his new roommate was reaching out to him as a friend instead of a billionaire who is on TV more than he wants to be? Someone, besides his friends in the city, was treating him like a person instead of suffocating him with questions about his life and 'how do you feel about your seventeenth birthday coming up?' Tony smiled.

"Sure, that sounds cool."

_It's gonna be a hard day  
>It's gonna be a hard day<br>Don't panic, don't panic  
>We are hanging here<br>We are hanging here_

_I am slipping through, I am slipping through  
>I am slipping into the airwaves<br>(The static's where you'll find me)  
>And this is nothing new, you are slipping through<br>My fingers and into the airwaves  
>Into the airwaves<br>It's gonna be a hard day  
>(It's gonna be a hard day)<br>So hang on, now  
>Don't panic, don't panic<br>There simply is no need  
>It's gonna be a hard day<br>(It's gonna be a hard day)  
>It's gonna be a hard day<br>Don't panic, don't panic  
>We are hanging here<br>(It's gonna be a hard day)  
>We are hanging here<br>(It's gonna be a hard day)  
>We are hanging here<br>We are hanging here_

**Well, looks like Tony's making a new friend…perhaps Roy's past experiences will teach Tony a lesson about dealing with the stress of fame? Or something more important than that, perhaps? Hmmm…review!**


	4. The Mixed Tape

**Song-**_The Mixed Tape _by _Jack's Mannequin_

_This is morning  
>That's when I spend the most time<br>Thinking 'bout what I've given up  
>This is a warning<br>When you start the day just to close the curtains  
>You're thinking 'bout what I've given up<br>Where are you now?  
>As I'm swimming through the stereo<br>I'm writing you a symphony of sound  
>Where are you now?<br>As I rearrange the songs again  
>This mix could burn a hole in anyone<br>But it was you I was thinking of_

Tony lay on his dormitory bed, just staring at the ceiling. He felt like he was missing something. Something that had been there before he left the city. He couldn't identify it, either. It was strange and new, and it felt warm and fuzzy and somehow it made him think of Pepper. He had some instinct that he had had small doses of this feeling before, but nothing like this. It was very hard to explain. Maybe Roy would know something about it…

As if on cue, Roy walked in the room. Tony looked over to him, then back at the ceiling. Roy noticed Tony's distressed position and started to speak as he attended to his own business.

"So, what's got you down today, Stark?" Roy asked.

"I don't know." Roy looked over to Tony with a confused expression on his face.

"How can you not know?" Tony sighed.

"Well I don't really know. It's this weird, fuzzy feeling inside that's bothering me." Tony explained. Roy smiled to himself. He had an idea what it was about.

"Thinkin' of anyone?" He asked.

"Yeah, why?" Tony asked, confused.

"A girl?" Tony nodded. Roy walked over to Tony and sat next to him, putting his arm around Tony in a friendly manner.

"That, my friend, is a little emotion called love." Tony was shocked at the accusation and stood immediately.

"What? I-I don't…I mean, we're just friends!" Tony stuttered. Roy chuckled lightly.

"That's what you think. You'll see," Roy stood from the bed and went back to his own business, "it'll all come to you." Tony leaned against his bed and thought about what he was just told. What the heck is that supposed to mean?

_I read your letter  
>The one you left when you broke into my house<br>Retracing every step you made  
>And you said you meant it<br>And there's a piece of me in every single  
>Second of every single day<br>But if it's true then tell me how it got this way  
>Where are you now?<br>As I'm swimming through the stereo  
>I'm writing you a symphony of sound<br>Where are you now?  
>As I rearrange the songs again<br>This mix could burn a hole in anyone  
>But it was you I was thinking of<em>

~…~

Pepper was excited as they got closer and closer to the outer limits of what was called 'Rochester'. The town that harbored her best friend Tony Stark, who was mysteriously hiding himself from the world. They would finally find out why in the world he ran from his problems when he should know that that is not the right thing to do. You have to face your problems, Tony, Pepper thought.

"Are we there yet? Are we?" Pepper asked eagerly. Rhodey sighed. Is this what Tony dealt with every day? Rhodey felt bad for his friend suddenly.

"Almost there, Pepper, relax." Rhodey said. He had to focus on the road, as his mother had said. He was thoroughly lectured about the rules of the road and driving on the highway before he had left; his mother really cracked down on that. She had even said that if she sees a single scratch on him or the car she would personally make sure he regretted it the rest of his life. It made him nervous, and Pepper asking 'are we there yet?' every other minute wasn't helping; plus the fact that his best friend was in distress and had not told anyone his dilemmas wasn't helping much either.

"Ugh this is taking forever!" Pepper whined.

"Pepper, just be patient. We'll be there in another few minutes." Rhodey said. Pepper was still uneasy.

"Ugh, that's too long! Do you know how long it's been sine I've heard him talk? Like, three days. That is too long, Rhodey. _Too. Long._"

"Pepper, we're almost there." Rhodey said, annoyed.

"Well you're not going fast enough! I need to see him NOW. A Tony in distress is never a good Tony." Pepper said.

"I realize that, Pepper." Rhodey felt that he was getting more annoyed with Pepper with each time she spoke. If this is what Tony dealt with each day, Rhodey saw just how Tony was quite the trooper.

Then they found the sign that welcomed them into the RIT campus and Rhodey knew that now it was just a matter of finding where on campus Tony was; Pepper, however, was filling quickly with excitement. She would finally see her Tony.

_And I can't get to you  
>I can't get to you<br>I can't get to you (you, you)  
>Where are you now?<br>As I'm swimming through the stereo  
>I conduct a symphony of sound<br>Where are you now?  
>As I'm cutting through you track by track<br>I swear to God this mix could sink the sun  
>But it was you I was thinking of<br>And where are you now?  
>And where are you now?<br>And this is my mixed tape for her  
>It's like I wrote every note<br>With my own fingers_

**Uhh, can you say FILLER? Cuz that's why that was so short. I tells ya, there's gonna be some 'DAAAAANGGG PEOPLEEE' moments in this story that…ehh, I'll shutup and let you read when I post. Review?**


	5. MFEO Pt 1: Made For Each Other

**Song-**_MFEO Pt. 1-Made For Each Other _by _Jack's Mannequin_

_I swim across an ocean  
>It's my matress in the basement<br>I'm sweatin' out excuses  
>That would make your stomach turn<br>The road we drove last night  
>Stretched from the desert to Las Vegas<br>We filled our cups, and lit one up  
>The snow began to burn<br>Oh, Oh maybe, we were made  
>We were made for each other<br>Ahh, is it possible for the  
>World to look this way forever?<br>Ahhh, Ahhh..._

Tony was on his dormitory bedroom studying when he heard a knock on his door followed by a shrill girl's voice call out,

"Tony I know you're in there! Now open this door!" He knew immediately that the girl's voice belonged to Pepper. Tony hopped off his bed and opened the door, sporting a confused look on his face as he did so.

"Pepper, Rhodey, what are you guys doing here? How did you know where I'd be?" Tony asked. Rhodey had his arms crossed and Tony knew that meant he was aggravated.

"Tony, you can't just run away and expect no one to go after you." Rhodey explained. Tony sighed. He knew he would have to explain why he had run, and that was something he did not wish to do.

"Besides, there _is _such a thing as tracking your cell phone signal." Rhodey added.

"Yeah, seriously Tony, why did you run away? You have to tell me EVERYTHING!" Pepper demanded. Tony let them into his dorm and closed the door in hopes that Roy would be stuck in the workshop all day like he was most of the time.

"Well it's kind of hard to explain and I don't really want to explain it either." Tony said.

"Too bad, you're explaining anyways." Pepper demanded. Tony had had a feeling that that's what she was going to say. Tony sat on his bed and began to explain the best he could, why exactly he had left.

"I-I don't really know when it all started. I just felt so…too pressured by all the responsibilities that I had. I just couldn't keep up. I needed to get away from it all." Tony couldn't really explain it any further in a way they'd understand. He really didn't know how else to put it. Pepper, in that moment, realized just how little Tony knew about being a teenager.

"Oh, Tony, feeling that kind of pressure is normal for an average teenager! I mean, not all the superhero hype, but its still no reason to run away. Come on, Tony, why don't you come back with us?" Pepper tried to get him to understand, but she noticed it wasn't working as effectively as she had hoped.

"But as strange as it sounds, I like it here. I don't want to leave, I want to finish the four years." Tony said.

"What? Why wouldn't you come back? Tony, my mom wouldn't like it." Rhodey said.

"But I feel so much more relaxed and less pressured here. I can't leave."

"What about your responsibilities about Iron Man? Are you just going to ignore that for four years?" Rhodey pestered. Tony hadn't thought of that and it silenced him. He felt stuck again. Go back just to fight evil or stay and finish college?

"And what about your dad's company? You only have two years until you can take that over, Tony. Are you really willing to let Stane ruin your dad's company for an extra two years?" Tony couldn't dictate a response at all. He hadn't thought of either concepts and it got his mind reeling. He looked from Rhodey to Pepper and back to Rhodey again, trying to find a good response for his friends that would make them understand the spot they had just put him in. Looking at Pepper reminded him of his earlier predicament, and it brought Roy's words echoing behind the thoughts that were just planted into his mind. _It's a little thing called love. _

_I talked so much, I'm sure  
>I didn't realize I'd gone crazy<br>Didn't catch my bloody nose  
>Or that my heart tried to explode<br>I still live with my High School friends  
>Some people never change at all<br>We're still the same compulsive drunks  
>We were when we were small<br>(Someone get this man to a hospital!)  
>Ohh, maybe, we were made<br>We were made for each other  
>Ahh, is it possible for the<br>World to look this way forever?  
>Ahhh, Ahhh...<em>

Yet for some weird reason, his thoughts of Pepper started to dominate thoughts that Rhodey had put in his head. She had come all the way here, he thought, for me. She had driven six hours just to see what the heck was wrong with me. Most friends don't do that, Tony thought. He wanted just for her to give him a smile, because when she smiled her eyes sparkled and he admired that about her. He liked her excited outlook on life and he liked how she tended to talk too much sometimes, but other times she was so worried about him that she hung on his every word and movement. He even liked how she had a little nickname for Iron Man and his assistance. There was just something about her, also, that he couldn't put his finger on, that made him feel warm and fuzzy inside whenever he looked at her or thought about her when he couldn't sleep at night.

"Well? Tony?" Pepper prodded. Tony snapped back into reality.

"I…I don't know." Tony's friends looked and felt annoyed with Tony's response. Since when had he become so irritating?

"Well when you get your life straightened out, Tony, you know where to find us." Especially the fact that these words had come out of Pepper's mouth is what crushed Tony the most. She had never been so negative towards him since she had been mad at him for lying so many times; and he didn't like it. He could barely stand the fact that every night he went to sleep knowing his bubbly, energetic female friend wasn't in agreement with him once, and he didn't want to have to go through that pain and agony again.

Tony watched as they left and lay back on his bed, ran his hands over his face and sighed.

_A long (a long) way from from a firework daze  
>But i still like to burn, burn, burn<br>I'm always (I'm always) in the haze of a car crash  
>The orange airbag dust covers everything<br>Oh, everything  
>And maybe, we were made<br>We were made for each other  
>Ahh, is it possible for the<br>World to look this way forever?  
>Ahhh, Ahhh...<em>

As Tony sighed and stared at the ceiling, all he could see was her face. Everywhere he looked he thought of Pepper and how disappointed in him she had seemed. Where had he gone wrong? Why hadn't he just stayed in the city?

As these thoughts and more ran through his head, Tony heard the door open once more and looked over to see Roy. Tony groaned and turned on his side and faced the wall. Roy smirked.

"Still lovesick, eh Stark?" Roy commented. Tony sighed and turned on his back again.

"I don't know." Tony complained.

"Hey, I'll tell you one thing: once you wrap your arms around her, dude, that's the medicine." The statement only made Tony groan louder.

**Ehh, not much going on this chapter. But I'm happy with it because I actually got it done in one night, unlike the last two that I updated which may have taken a week total to update…but come tomorrow I think I'll have more time to update so I'll be doing more of it then. But for now, chao! (that rhymesss :D) Review!**


	6. MFEO Pt 2: You Can Breathe

**Song-**_MFEO Pt. 2-You Can Breathe_

_You can breathe, you can breathe now  
>You can breathe, but the air is running out<br>You can breathe, you can breathe now  
>You can breathe, but the air is running out on you<em>

Tony laid back on his bed with a sigh. He had let the girl that only recently known for sure that he liked so much, slip through his fingers ever so delicately. What had just happened? Why had he been such an idiot? Tony sighed miserably as Roy walked into the room.

"Still thinking about the girl, huh? If its this bad, Stark, why don't you call her up and say something?" Roy suggested.

"They were just here to find out why I had disappeared. And the worst thing is I let her go. I feel like such an idiot." Roy smirked.

"Ah, lesson three of being in love. She'll always make you feel like an idiot sometimes, but then you say to yourself: 'yeah, but I'm an idiot in love.'" Roy said, peering over his shoulder every few words at Tony. Tony sighed.

"But she's so mad at me! She's never going to forgive me, I just know it." Tony complained. He reflected on all the happy times they'd had and missed them more.

_You waited for me in the rain  
>In the parking lot<br>Cold hands, lips blue  
>Clothes stuck to you<br>You could have phoned me for a ride  
>It's a mess out there<br>you said the rain's the rain  
>Some air'd be good for you<br>(you can breathe, you can breathe now)  
>Well good for you<br>(you can breathe, but the air is running out_

**Flashbackkk! **

_Pepper and Tony walked down the streets of the city with smiles on their faces. Pepper's smile, of course, being because she was spending quality alone time with the dreamiest boy she's ever met. Tony's joy was because they were having a good time and seeing her smile bringing a sparkle to her eyes sent an odd, warm feeling swirling in his stomach that somehow also made him a bit nervous. So, he didn't know what the feeling was; he didn't care, he was having a good time. And lately, that was rare for him. So much stress had built up that he just wanted a nice night out to relax. And what better way to spend it than with a pretty, funny, smart girl?_

'_Wait…did I just think that?' Tony shoved the thought away and mindlessly put his arm over Pepper's shoulders. Pepper smiled and blushed at the motion, but let him keep his arm there. _

_It wasn't the first move of the night, though. During the movie, Tony had played out the classic 'yawn-stretch-arm around you' move. All these moves were new for him, too. Usually he was so focused on doing the task at hand that he barely paid any mind to her. But this newfound attention was nice. She liked it; but still, when your crush suddenly decides to give you such awesome attention it would be awesome for any girl. 'Especially when he's so gorgeous, and dreamy, and…'_

"_Pepper? Earth to Pepper?" Tony budded in. Pepper was shoved back into reality and looked up to see that as they walked, Tony had asked her a question. 'Oops…'_

"_What? Sorry, I kinda got lost in a thought…" Pepper said. Tony chuckled. _

"_Oh? And what would that thought be?" Tony asked with a smirk still residing on his lips. _

"_U-uh, nothing! Nothing at all. What were you asking me?" Pepper asked, trying desperately to change the subject. Tony got the hint that she didn't want to say and responded._

"_Oh, I was just asking how you liked the movie." Tony explained. 'Shoot! I didn't even pay attention! I was too busy thinking about him! What do I say?' _

"_Uhh, it was good, I really liked it…" Pepper responded. Tony nodded as he said "Cool," and they continued their way home; home being Pepper's apartment, which Tony was walking her back to. It was gentlemanly of him, Pepper thought, but he had his moments. It wasn't the first time he decided to have manners._

_They got to Pepper's apartment after a little while of slow walking and mindless chatting. Tony stopped in front of Pepper's apartment door to say goodbye and goodnight. _

"_Well, have a good night I guess," Tony said. _

"_You too?" Pepper said back with a smile. _

"_See you uhh, tomorrow," Tony said as he turned to leave, "bye…" Tony headed back to Rhodey's house._

"_Bye," Pepper said in a daze as she shut her door and sunk to the ground, sighing with joy. _

_Rhodey hadn't joined his friends that night because he had 'homework to do that he felt was more important than seeing a movie', but Tony felt that the reason was deeper than that. Why had he bailed on his friends when he still had the whole weekend to do homework? Tony wondered on his way home. But he didn't entirely mind his friend's absence; he had had a fun night with just Pepper. And something inside him said that he hoped many more would come in his future…_

**Flashback enddd.**

Tony then understood why Rhodey hadn't come that night. _That sneak! _But Tony didn't feel like concentrating on how Rhodey had tricked them. He concentrated on the girl he had just lost. He concentrated on how mad she had been when she had left his dormitory. He concentrated on how he had just let her down. He concentrated on how much he loved her.

But mostly, he concentrated on how stupid he felt for letting her go like that.

~…~

_You can breathe, you can breathe now  
>You can breathe, but the air is running out<br>You can breathe, you can breathe now  
>You can breathe, but the air is running out on you<br>And you walked for miles down  
>The shores of California to the<br>Coast of Mexico where you could hide  
>And no one'd have to know<br>You can breathe, you can breathe now  
>You can breathe, but the air is running out<br>You can breathe, you can breathe now  
>You can breathe, but the air is running out (on you now)<br>You can breathe, you can breathe now  
>You can breathe, but the air is running out<br>You can breathe, you can breathe now  
>You can breathe, but the air is running out on you<br>Running out on you_

"I mean, how can he let his friends go like that? He just abandoned all of his responsibilities! Iron Man, his dad's company, school…everything! How could he do that?" Pepper complained. Rhodey sighed. And he thought her ranting on the way there was annoying…

"I don't know, Pepper, I'm annoyed too. But as of right now, I'm trying to drive." Rhodey said. Pepper shrunk in her seat in anger.

"Fine..." She sighed. I wasted all those years trying to tell him how I feel, and he does this to me? Just leaves unnoticed to some college out of town? If he really wanted to skip over to college he could've stayed in town, Pepper thought. How could he just mindlessly abandon me? Abandon us? Abandon his school? His responsibilities? HOW?

Pepper sighed and stared out the window silently the rest of the way home, eventually falling asleep and dreaming of being held by Tony…like usual.

**Fine, shoot me, its short! But considering I have so many other stories to update I'm going to finish this one in another chapter or two. So be prepared for a fuzzy ending! Review?**


	7. The Resolution

**Song-**_The Resolution _by _Jack's Mannequin_

***Side note-I've realized by now that this story has not come out exactly as I had wanted it to. It had started as telling a story through a series of songs, but I realized that I hadn't been connecting anything between songs and chapters, really. So now it'll be more like there's going to be a song to describe each chapter, and the emotions, feelings and events that are going on throughout the chapter. Sorry if I've ruined the story within doing what I'd done with past chapters and song selections -.- on with the story!**

_There's a lot that I don't know  
>There's a lot that I'm still learning<br>When I think I'm letting go  
>I find my body it's still burning<br>And you hold me down  
>And you got me living in the past<br>Come on and pick me up  
>Somebody clear the wreckage from the blast<em>

After a long while of thinking, Tony found that he had begun to think about more than he had expected. One thing had brought up another, and suddenly he was contemplating whether leaving for college was a good idea at all. _Is it really worth it to keep learning things I already know? _Tony let out a sigh, which Roy heard as he watched TV on his bed.

"'Sup this time, Stark?" He asked.

"I'm not even sure I should stay here." This brought the rest of Roy's attention to Tony. He paused his show and fixed his position to face Tony.

"Why not dude?" He asked.

"Because all my friends are mad at me for this and to tell you the truth," Tony explained, pausing momentarily.

"I miss Pepper. But that's not even the half of it. I've had time to think about how I felt and you're right," Tony said, "I'm in love with my best friend." Roy sat up on his bed.

"Look, Tony, I'm going to tell you a little story," Roy began.

"When I was younger, believe it or not, I was cast on a kid's show as the main character. I was a child actor. I had the life. And the best part? My best friend came with me to Hollywood for support. We were closer than close. Nothing could separate us." Roy explained.

"What happened?" With this question, Roy looked to his feet, showing sadness.

"I let the fame get to my head. I let it blind me. I became too arrogant and too held up in myself to realize the harm that I was causing to others. I…I was so selfish…"

**Flashback!**

_A young ten-year-old boy sat in his dressing room, watching himself in the mirror as his make-up artist put on the finishing touches. He watched through his mirror as the door opened and his female friend walked in._

"_Oh, there you are Roy," She said, closing the door behind her. The boy's make-up artist packed up her things quickly and walked out at Roy's dismissal. _

"_What do you want?" Roy spat. His friend sighed._

"_I wanted to talk to you." She explained. _

"_What could be so important? It's nearly show time." Roy asked with a sneer._

"_It's about you, Roy," She explained. With this, Roy turned in his chair towards her with a questioning look._

"_You've changed. A lot. You used to be Roy, the sweetest, kindest, most caring boy I've ever met. But now you're Roy, the most self-centered, rude, uncaring person there is." Roy, on the inside, listened deeply to what she had to say and felt ashamed of himself. He tried to hide that from her in his expression, but it wasn't working as he wanted to._

"_And I can't stay friends with the new Roy. There's no way I can put myself through this anymore. I miss the old Roy," She said. _

"_And until he comes back, I'm gone."_

_Roy watched as she exited his dressing room and threw his head onto his dresser as he heard the door close behind her. _

**Flashback end!**

"Don't make the same mistake that I did, Tony," Roy said sadly. "do what your heart tells you." As Tony went back to his individual thinking, Roy thought about the friend he had once had.

~…~

After a long while of thinking, Tony sat up from his bed, found his suitcases, and began to pack them. Roy had left to clear his head a while ago so Tony would just leave a note.

But for now, he knew where he belonged and he knew it wasn't here.

_Yeah I'm alive  
>But I don't need a witness<br>To know that I've survived  
>I'm not looking for forgiveness<br>Yeah I just need light  
>I need light in the dark<br>As I search for the resolution  
>And the bars are finally closed<br>So I try living in the moment  
>For the moment it just froze<br>And I felt sick and so alone  
>I could hear the sound<br>Of your voice still ringing in my ear  
>I'm going underground<br>But you'll find me anywhere I fear_

**Agh! More short chapters! Grr! Whatever I have nothing more for this chapter. Next one will be longer, and the last one. So review!**


	8. Going Home

**A/N before the story: I've decided to stop with the songs because it's more ruining the story than helping it. P.S. last chapter because I feel this story is not doing me justice. If anyone wants to take this story in their own direction in a sequel, feel free, just accredit me in doing so.**

Tony grabbed the last of his things and loaded them into his car. After taking one last glance at the place where he thought he would be an escape for him.

"Thanks for your advice, Roy." Tony said as a last goodbye effort.

"Anytime, Stark, anytime." Roy shook Tony's hand and then Tony got in his car and began the drive back to the city.

~…~

Once Tony reached the outer limits of the city, he looked around and a smile grew on his face. He hadn't realized how he had missed home. He didn't think he'd be seeing the place for a long time, and he didn't think that once he returned he'd miss the place so much. Though, it was a little evident considering the boy hadn't left the city his whole life.

Tony got out of the cab and looked around, holding his bags as he took in the sights that he had so missed on his time away. He let everything soak in for a minute before he walked inside the Rhodes house.

Once he got inside the house, he looked around for anyone who was home at the moment. The area seemed to be empty, but once he set his stuff down and walked into the living room to see his two friends sitting on the couch. They hadn't realized he had come in, and they were in the middle of a conversation. So Tony backed up, hid around the corner of the nearby wall, and listened.

"I just can't believe he would brush us off his shoulder so easily like that," Pepper said.

"Well I just think he's having a hard time with everything that's been going on lately and he was just confused. He didn't know where to turn. You can't really blame him, Pepper." Tony smiled. Good old Rhodey, he thought. There was a long silence and after a while Pepper sighed.

"I kinda miss Tony." Tony smiled wider, yet the statement sent his mind reeling. She misses me? Because to be completely honest with myself, he thought, I missed her a lot too.

Tony stepped out and said, "Well I think I can solve that problem." Pepper smiled widely with excitement and jumped out of her seat, ran over to Tony and sprung onto him with a hug.

"Tony! You came back! I can't believe it! I-I mean, I…" Tony chuckled.

"It's really good to see you too, Pep." He said. Rhodey then walked over to him.

"It's good to have you back, man." He said, patting Tony's shoulder. The three took a seat on the couch.

"So? Spill! What compelled you to come home?" Pepper asked excitedly. This brought a rosy blush to Tony's cheeks.

"Well after you two left I laid down on my bed and thought for a while. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I just wasn't where I really wanted to be." As Tony explained this, he stared straight into Pepper's eyes. He fully, one-hundred percent meant what he said and furthermore, meant every word of the message hidden in his words when he looked into her eyes at that moment.

Then Rhodey's phone went off (it was his mother) he got up and went to answer it in the other room; leaving Tony and Pepper sitting across from each other on the couch. It was awkwardly silent for a moment before Tony spoke up.

"Y-you know, Pepper, I-I had other reasons for leaving college," He began. Pepper's gaze then showed curiosity as she tilted her head and furrowed her brows.

"I…missed you too." He stated simply. Pepper smiled and hugged him once more. This time Tony embraced her and held onto her as long as possible. He never wanted to let her go.

"Tony, I…" Pepper paused, nervous. "I love you." She stated quietly and simply. Tony smiled. Yet instead of responding, he grabbed her arms, pulled her close and kissed her. It was long and deep and Tony was glad he did it. Pepper practically melted into him, slumping her shoulders, wrapping her arms around his neck and immediately kissing back.

They parted moments later and Tony smiled, keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Yeah, Tony thought, it's good to be home.

**Sorry for the beyond crappy ending, but I just needed this story finished. It's not really the best story ever made, soo, just go ahead and criticize…review?**


End file.
